Very small community supply
Information for drinking water supplies that serve 25 or fewer people but up to 50 people for no more than 60 days in any 12-month period.
Key things you need to know as a provider of a very small community drinking water supply can be found on this page.
Is my supply a very small community?
A very small community supply is a drinking water supply of any configuration or arrangement (excluding domestic self-supplies and shared domestic supplies) that provides drinking water to a population of up to 25 people. In circumstances when the population supplied fluctuates, the population may increase to up to 50 people for up to 60 days in any 12-month period.
If the normal number of people is up to 25, the supply is most likely a very small community - even if this number is exceeded every year during special events or holiday periods.
Examples of very small communities are sports facilities, community halls and marae that have a stand-alone water supply, if the population is normally up to 25 people.
Providers of very small community supplies have responsibilities under the Water Services Act 2021outbound to ensure the water is safe to drink.
Register with us
If you're a new supplier, or an existing supplier who was registered under the previous regulator but has not yet registered with us, you'll need to register your supply with us on our Hinekōrako supply portal. The portal enables you to share important information with us about your supply.
Head to our registration page for more information and to access Hinekōrako.
Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules or Acceptable Solution
Providers of very small community supplies have two options for complying with the Water Services Act 2021outbound and ensuring safe drinking water is delivered to their community.
You can either follow the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules or use a readymade option called an Acceptable Solution. If you choose the Acceptable Solution, you will not need to follow the Rules. (Note: very small community supplies no longer need to submit a drinking water safety plan.)
Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules (the Rules)
The Rules are the minimum requirements for drinking water suppliers. The Rules that apply to you are listed below. By following these Rules, which require regular monitoring of your water and analysis by an accredited laboratory, you will know more about the quality of the water you are supplying. You will also need to consider whether more frequent testing and/or treatment of the water is needed.
If you choose to follow the Rules you will need to notify the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai if monitoring results, like test results for E. coli, exceed a maximum acceptable value (MAV) set out in the Drinking Water Standards.outbound
You do not need to report to us unless your testing results show an exceedance in a MAV. Laboratories are required to inform you and us if drinking water testing exceeds these standards.
Acceptable Solutions
For some suppliers, following the requirements of an Acceptable Solution may be a more straightforward and cost-effective way to meet their responsibilities than following the Rules.
Acceptable Solutions enable water to be treated at or near any buildings where people will drink it. This could include using an end-point treatment system, which uses cartridge filters and ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect the water.
Information about the Acceptable Solutions that may apply to you is located further down this page and you can jump to it here.
The rules that apply to this type of supply are listed below. You can download the complete Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules here.
Very Small Community Supply Rules
The following Very Small Community Rules apply.
Rule VSC.1 - monitoring requirements (non-reporting rule)
Drinking water must be monitored at least every 6 months for the following:
(a) E. coli:
(b) total coliforms.
Rule VSC.2 - sample analysis (non-reporting rule)
All water samples taken for VSC.1 must be:
(a) analysed by a laboratory accredited by IANZ for those tests; and
(b) collected according to the requirements of that laboratory.
Rule VSC.3 - population exceedance for more than 60 days (non-reporting rule)
When the population exceeds 25 people for more than 60 days in any 12-month period, the rules for Small Network Supplies or Small Self-supplied Buildings Supplies must be followed (depending on the nature of your supply), for the remainder of the calendar year.
Rule VSC.4 - population exceedance during planned event (non-reporting rule)
When the population exceeds 50 people for a planned event, the following requirements apply:
(a) during the event, water must be:
(i) filtered; and either
(ii) disinfected with UV light; or
(iii) chlorinated:
(b) drinking water must be monitored in the week before the event and weekly if the event exceeds 1 week for the following:
(i) E. coli:
(ii) total coliforms.
Guidance for following the Rules
This section explains the reason for the Rules and recommends actions you can take to comply.
Guidance for rule VSC.1
What does rule VSC.1 require me to do?
Rule VSC.1 requires you to collect a sample from your water supply (not source water) at least every six months and to have that sample analysed for E.coli and total coliforms.
Rule VSC.1 helps you have some understanding of the microbiological quality of the water you are supplying.
Where should I collect samples from?
You may collect from the water leaving the treatment plant (if there is one), the pipe network that delivers water to consumers, or from a consumer’s house in the community. The samples should not be collected directly from the source, e.g. a roof water tank, stream or spring if that is where water is being abstracted from, because the test is intended to determine the quality of water that people are actually drinking.
When should I take samples?
Samples must be collected and every six months. It is up to you to decide when to collect the samples but good practice includes:
- taking samples evenly across a year rather than taking samples within close timeframe
- collecting the samples at a time when the water quality is likely to be poorest.
For water supplies that take water from surface waters (streams, rivers, roof water), water quality is poorest when it is raining or there has been recent rain. If a water treatment system is being used, the result will provide an indication of the effectiveness of that system. If there is no treatment, sampling during or shortly after a rain event will give an indication of the worst-case scenario, e.g. when people are most likely to become ill from drinking from the water supply.
Should I sample more frequently?
Twice yearly monitoring of the water supply will only provide limited information about the safety of the supply. We recommend that you increase testing to three monthly if a treatment system is being used, or monthly if the water is not treated.
What are E.coli and total coliforms?
E. coli are bacteria that indicate faecal contamination. If they are found in a water sample, it indicates that the sample is contaminated with the faeces of a person, animal or bird. Generally, E. coli itself won’t make someone ill (there are some species that can cause illness, but they are not common), but if a water sample is contaminated with faeces it is expected that bacteria and other types of micro-organisms (called pathogens) that can cause serious illness will also be in the water.
Total coliforms are a group of bacteria that can be found in faeces but also live in the wider environment, e.g. on decaying vegetation. If total coliforms are found in a water sample, it indicates that bacteria are present in the water.
What do the test results mean?
You can use the results of both tests together to inform you of the quality of water being provided. If a sample result is positive (e.g. 1 per 100 mL or more) for E. coli it tells us that the water is contaminated with faeces and is not safe to drink. The higher the number of E. coli, the greater the risk, but any level of E. coli indicates that water is not safe to drink and should not be consumed without some form of treatment.
What do I do if a sample is positive for E. coli or total coliforms?
If a sample is positive for E. coli, it will also be positive for total coliforms because total coliforms are a group of bacteria and E. coli are a part of that group. A sample result could be positive for total coliforms and negative for E. coli, this tells us the water is contaminated with bacteria, but they are not from the faeces of humans, animals or birds.
When a result is positive for total coliforms but negative for E. coli, it indicates there are some bacteria in the water but they are unlikely to make people unwell. In this case, it is important to identify where the contaminating bacteria are likely to be coming from and prevent further contamination, because if the water can become contaminated with non-faecal bacteria, it could also become contaminated with faecal bacteria.
If a sample result is positive for E. coli, you must take immediate steps to protect consumers and prevent them from becoming unwell from consuming the water. You can do this by advising all consumers to boil the water before they drink it. Water suppliers also need to advise the Authority if a sample is positive for E. coli (see section 21 of the Act).
However, advising consumers to boil all drinking water is only a short-term measure. You must investigate to find the cause of the E. coli contamination and fix it. You should take the following steps:
- If the supply has a treatment system, check it is working properly.
- If a treatment system is not installed, consider finding a suitable system and installing it.
- Contamination can also occur from within the pipe network so, if the treatment system is working correctly, check the distribution system for sources of contamination.
Guidance for rule VSC.2
What does rule VSC.2 require me to do?
Rule VSC.2 requires a water supplier to ensure that all samples analysed from its water supply are analysed by a laboratory accredited to the external organisation International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) and that the water supplier follows the instructions of the laboratory when collecting the sample.
The conditions for analysing E. coli and total coliforms can only be achieved in a laboratory or with equipment that is managed by a laboratory. Laboratories that undertake analysis of water samples for E. coli and total coliforms must demonstrate to IANZ that they have the capability and equipment to undertake these tests in a way that will provide an accurate result.
This rule ensures the water supplier, consumers and the Authority have confidence that the result of the testing is accurate. Use the Public Register of Laboratoriesoutbound to find an IANZ accredited laboratory.
How do I take a sample for E.coli and total coliforms?
When a sample is collected, we are trying to find out about the quality of the water that is being provided to consumers. To do this, samples are usually taken from a tap at the treatment plant, in the pipe network or at a consumer’s house. The sample can easily be contaminated when it is being collected from the tap. When this happens, the result may not accurately tell us about the quality of the water quality going to consumers.
The laboratory undertaking the analysis of the sample will advise you on how to collect the sample without contaminating it. Samples must be collected into sterile containers provided by the laboratory. You must disinfect the tap that the water is taken from before the sample is collected from it. There are several ways to do this, including wiping it with alcohol, wiping it with bleach, or using a flame to kill any microbes that may be on or inside the tap. The laboratory will also provide requirements for storing and returning the sample to ensure an accurate result.
Guidance for rule VSC.3
What does rule VSC.3 require me to do?
If the threshold of 25 people for more than 60 days is exceeded, rule VSC.3 requires a water supplier to demonstrate compliance against the relevant Rules for small networked supplies or small self-supplied buildings supplies (depending on the nature of your supply) for the remainder of the calendar year.
Why are there population and timeframe limits for my supply?
When water supplies have limited or no water treatment and limited monitoring of water quality, the consequence of things going wrong increases as the population increases, i.e. more people could get sick. While the likelihood of something going wrong may not necessarily increase, the longer that an elevated population is exposed, the greater the overall risk.
For these reasons, rule VSC.3 limits the number of people and the length of time that they can use a very small community drinking water supply that has minimal monitoring and no requirements for water treatment.
Guidance for rule VSC.4
What does rule VSC.4 require me to do?
Rule VSC.4 requires a water supplier to ensure that if the supply population exceeds 50 people for a limited time due to a planned event, water is filtered and disinfected prior to being delivered to the community. The water supplier can determine how the drinking water is filtered and to what extent. The drinking water must also be disinfected with UV light or chlorine before delivery to consumers.
Water suppliers must also monitor their supply for E. coli and total coliforms in the week before the event and weekly if the event exceeds one week. Samples should be taken after any temporary treatment is put in place to ensure the treatment is effective . Monitoring must be no earlier than one week before the event starts to ensure the treatment is working and while conditions are likely to be similar. For longer events, weekly testing is required because conditions may change, affecting the water quality.
We also recommend that you undertake additional monitoring of E. coli if there are rapid changes in weather conditions.
Why do I need to treat my water and monitor it more frequently when I hold a planned event exceeding 50 people?
When water supplies have limited or no water treatment and there is limited monitoring of water quality, the consequence of things going wrong can rise if the population increases for a short period of time, i.e. more people could get sick. This may occur when you hold a planned event and more than 50 people use your water supply for a limited period.
For these reasons, rule VSC.4 requires some simple water treatment to be introduced to the supply in this case. It also requires additional water quality monitoring.
Acceptable Solutions
For some suppliers, following the requirements of an Acceptable Solution may be a more straightforward and cost-effective way to meet their responsibilities than following the Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules.
Acceptable Solutions enable water to be treated at or near any buildings where people will drink it. This could include using an end-point treatment system, which uses cartridge filters and ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect the water.
In September 2025, the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai updated the Acceptable Solutions to make them easier to understand and follow. Our aim was to save suppliers and their communities time, effort and cost while providing good quality water to the people who drink it every day.
Rather than a mix of supply types and water sources, Acceptable Solutions are now available for three different types of supplies. This will make it easier to figure out if an Acceptable Solution is right for your supply and community.
Each Acceptable Solution is a legal document that sets requirements. This goes hand in hand with guidance to help you understand what you need to do to meet those requirements.
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Acceptable Solution |
Supply attributes |
Key information |
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Mixed-use rural |
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Small to medium networks |
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Self-supplied buildings |
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The requirements for each of these Acceptable Solutions are summarised below. You can find more information on Acceptable Solutions here.
Acceptable Solution for mixed-use rural supplies
General
- A registered plumber must be used to install the end-point treatment system if the work involves sanitary plumbing.
- Trained, qualified and/or suitably experienced or supervised people need to be available to operate and maintain any aspect of the drinking water supply.
- It is recommended that the end-point treatment system is purchased from a reputable New Zealand-based supplier.
Source water
- Source water must be suitable with respect to the levels of turbidity, UV transmittance and concentrations of iron, manganese and other chemicals.
- If a surface water source is used, the cyanobacteria risk must be assessed and managed. A cyanobacteria response plan is required so you know what to do if the risk elevates.
- If spring or bore source water is used, it must be:
- protected by headworks that minimise contamination by surface water
- protected from farm animals
- protected from contamination by a sewage disposal field or discharge, underground storage tank (e.g. fuel), waste pond, landfill, offal pit, areas where pesticides or animal effluent are applied to the land, and other contaminated areas.
- Source water can be supplemented with another supply (e.g. from a roof) provided it feeds into the end-point treatment system before consumption.
- Pre-treatment of source water before it enters the end-point treatment system may be needed for some source waters but is not compulsory for all sources. Pre-treatment might include reduction of turbidity or the addition of chlorine to control microorganisms.
End-point treatment system(s)
- End-point treatment systems must be installed at every property connected to the supply where the water is used for drinking. The systems must be installed by a registered plumber and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
- The system must be installed so it can meet instantaneous peak demand.
- The system must include at least one cartridge filter with a pore size of 5 microns or less.
- The system must include a UV treatment system that delivers a minimum reduction equivalent dose of 40 mJ/cm2.
- The flow of water through the UV treatment system must be restricted or monitored so it does not exceed the manufacturer's recommended flow rate.
- A validated UV treatment system must be used if 25 or more people are served by a treatment system, or water is being supplied to a community or the public (e.g. a school, marae, café, sports club or camping ground).
- An unvalidated UV treatment system is acceptable if fewer than 25 people are served by a treatment system and it is not serving a community or the public (e.g. a small workplace such as a farm building with under 25 staff).
Backflow prevention
- A backflow prevention system comprising either an air gap or a backflow prevention device (either non-testable dual check valves, non-testable double check valves or testable devices) must be installed at every connection to the supply.
Storage tanks
- It’s good practice to protect tanks used to store drinking water from safety risks including animal faeces.
- Suppliers are required to remind the people they supply, at least annually, of the need to:
- secure tanks against rainwater (note – rainwater can be used to supplement the supply, but it should pass through the treatment system before being stored in tanks)
- secure tanks against contamination by vermin, birds, animal faeces and other contaminants
- Tanks should be inspected regularly for signs of contamination.
Supply restrictions
- An end-point treatment system serving one building must not serve more than 500 people.
- An end-point treatment system serving up to three buildings on one property (or adjoining properties with common ownership) must not serve a base population of more than 100 people.
- If the number of people you supply varies during the year, these restrictions can be exceeded for up to 60 days within any 12-month period – provided the treatment system has the capacity to cope.
Emergency response
- Suppliers are required to plan for events such as earthquakes or weather events that could stop the end-point treatment system from working or prevent the supply of sufficient drinking water.
- Suppliers are required to prepare a written emergency response plan.
Monitoring, reporting and record-keeping
- Before the Acceptable Solution is adopted, and then at least every three months, the source water must be monitored for:
- microbiological content – E. coli and total coliforms
- physical properties – turbidity and UV transmittance.
- At least once a year, the source water must be monitored for:
- Monitoring must be undertaken by an accredited laboratory (apart from monitoring of turbidity and UV transmittance, which can either be tested at a laboratory or using a portable instrument).
- Suppliers must inform the people they supply, and any other suppliers connected to the supply, of the results of monitoring.
- A written record of installation, maintenance and testing of end-point treatment systems and supply components (e.g. tanks, pipes and pumps) must be kept for at least three years.
- A record of all communications with the people supplied and others connected to the supply must be kept for at least three years.
- A written emergency response plan must be maintained.
Acceptable Solution for small to medium networked supplies
General
- A registered plumber must be used to install the end-point treatment system if the work involves sanitary plumbing.
- Trained, qualified and/or suitably experienced or supervised people need to be available to operate and maintain any aspect of the drinking water supply.
- It is recommended that the end-point treatment system is purchased from a reputable New Zealand-based supplier.
Source water
- Source water must be suitable with respect to the levels of turbidity, UV transmittance and concentrations of iron, manganese and other chemicals.
- If a surface water source is used, the cyanobacteria risk must be assessed and managed. A cyanobacteria response plan is required in the event that the risk elevates.
- If spring or bore source water is used, it must be:
- protected by headworks that minimise contamination by surface water
- protected from farm animals
- protected from contamination by a sewage disposal field or discharge, underground storage tank (e.g. fuel), waste pond, landfill, offal pit, areas where pesticides or animal effluent are applied to the land, and other contaminated areas.
- Source water can be supplemented with another supply (e.g. from a roof) provided it feeds into the end-point treatment system before consumption.
- Pre-treatment of source water before it enters the end-point treatment system may be needed for some source waters but is not compulsory for all sources. Pre-treatment might include reduction of turbidity or the addition of chlorine to control microorganisms.
End-point treatment system(s)
- End-point treatment systems must be installed at every property connected to the supply where the water is used for drinking. The systems must be installed by a registered plumber and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
- The system must be installed so it can meet instantaneous peak demand.
- The system must include at least one cartridge filter with a pore size of 5 microns or less.
- The system must include a UV treatment system that delivers a minimum reduction equivalent dose of 40 mJ/cm2.
- The flow of water through the UV treatment system must be restricted or monitored so it does not exceed the manufacturer's recommended flow rate.
- A validated UV treatment system must be used if 25 or more people are served by a treatment system, or water is being supplied to a community or the public (e.g. a school, marae, café, sports club or camping ground).
- An unvalidated UV treatment system is acceptable if fewer than 25 people are served by a treatment system and it is not serving a community or the public (e.g. a small workplace such as a farm building with under 25 staff).
Backflow prevention
- A backflow prevention system comprising either an air gap or a backflow prevention device (either non-testable dual check valves, non-testable double check valves or testable devices) must be installed at every connection to the supply.
Storage tanks
- It's good practice to protect tanks used to store drinking water from safety risks including animal faeces.
- Suppliers are required to remind the people they supply of the need, at least annually, to:
- secure tanks against rainwater
- secure tanks against contamination by vermin, birds, animal faeces and other contaminants
- Tanks should be inspected regularly for signs of contamination.
Supply restrictions
- An end-point treatment system serving one building must not serve more than 500 people.
- An end-point treatment system serving up to three buildings on one property (or adjoining properties with common ownership) must not serve a base population of more than 100 people.
- If populations vary during the year, these restrictions can be exceeded for up to 60 days within any 12-month period – provided the treatment system has the capacity to cope.
Emergency response
- Suppliers are required to plan for events such as earthquakes or weather events that could stop the end-point treatment system from working or prevent the supply of sufficient drinking water.
- Suppliers are required to prepare a written emergency response plan.
Monitoring, reporting and record-keeping
- Before the Acceptable Solution is adopted, and then at least every three months, the source water must be monitored for:
- microbiological content – E. coli and total coliforms
- physical properties – turbidity and UV transmittance.
- At least once a year, the source water must be monitored for:
- If roof water is used as a source, it must also be monitored before adopting this Acceptable Solution, and then every three years following, for:
- Monitoring must be undertaken by an accredited laboratory (apart from monitoring of turbidity and UV transmittance, which can either be tested at a laboratory or using a portable instrument).
- Suppliers must inform the people they supply, and any other suppliers connected to the supply, of the results of monitoring.
- A written record of installation, maintenance and testing of end-point treatment systems and supply components (e.g. tanks, pipes and pumps) must be kept for at least three years.
- A record of information provided to the people they supply and others connected to the supply must be kept for at least three years.
- A written emergency response plan must be maintained.
Transitioning from an earlier Acceptable Solution
- Suppliers meeting the requirements of an earlier Acceptable Solution (for spring and bore water or roof water sources) have one year from XX September 2025 (the date the updated Acceptable Solution came into effect) to start complying with this new Acceptable Solution.
- Suppliers can switch to the new requirements earlier if desired.
Acceptable Solution for self-supplied buildings
General
- A registered plumber must be used to install the treatment system if the work involves sanitary plumbing.
- Trained, qualified and/or suitably experienced or supervised people need to be available to operate and maintain any aspect of the drinking water supply.
- It is recommended that the treatment system be purchased from a reputable New Zealand-based supplier.
Eligible supplies
- A single building with a base population of no more than 500 people, or
- Up to three buildings with a total base population of no more than 100 people, or
- Up to 10 buildings with a total base population of no more than 500 people, as long as the pipes that convey treated water between buildings are not laid through or within 50 metres of:
- a sewage disposal field or effluent discharge (e.g. a septic tank or other wastewater treatment system)
- an underground storage tank (e.g. a petrol station fuel tank)
- a waste pond
- a landfill
- an offal pit
- areas where pesticides or animal effluent is applied to land
- other contaminated sites.
Source water
- Source water must be suitable with respect to the levels of turbidity, UV transmittance and concentrations of iron, manganese and other chemicals.
- If a surface water source is used, the cyanobacteria risk must be assessed and managed. A cyanobacteria response plan is required in the event that the risk elevates.
- If spring or bore source water is used, it must be:
- protected by headworks that minimise contamination by surface water
- protected from farm animals
- protected from contamination by a sewage disposal field or discharge, underground storage tank (e.g. fuel), waste pond, landfill, offal pit, areas where pesticides or animal effluent are applied to the land, and other contaminated areas.
- Special restrictions and monitoring requirements apply (see below) if roof water is used as a source.
- Source water can be supplemented with another supply (e.g. from a roof) provided it feeds into the treatment system before consumption.
- Pre-treatment of source water before it enters the treatment system may be needed for some source waters but is not compulsory for all sources. Pre-treatment might include reduction of turbidity or the addition of chlorine to control microorganisms.
Central treatment system
- Components of the central treatment system must be installed by a registered plumber in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
- The system must be installed so it can meet instantaneous peak demand.
- The system must include at least one cartridge filter with a pore size of 5 microns or less.
- The system must include a UV treatment system that delivers a minimum reduction equivalent dose of 40 mJ/cm2.
- The flow of water through the UV treatment system must be restricted or monitored so it does not exceed the manufacturer's recommended flow rate.
- A validated UV treatment system must be used if 25 or more people are served by a treatment system, or water is being supplied to a community or the public (e.g. a school, marae, café, sports club or camping ground).
- An unvalidated UV treatment system is acceptable if fewer than 25 people are served by to a treatment system and it is not serving a community or the public (e.g. a small workplace such as a farm building with under 25 staff).
Storage tanks
- It's good practice to protect tanks used to store drinking water from safety risks including animal faeces.
- Suppliers are required every 3 months to:
- secure tanks against rainwater
- secure tanks against contamination by vermin, birds, animal faeces and other contaminants.
- Tanks should be inspected regularly for signs of contamination.
Monitoring untreated source water
- Untreated bore, spring, roof or surface source water must be monitored at least every three months for:
- microbiological content: E. coli, total coliforms
- physical properties: turbidity, UV transmittance.
- At least once a year, the untreated source water must be monitored for:
- If roof water is used as a source, it must also be monitored every three years following, for:
- As far as practicable, roof surfaces used for collecting drinking water should be kept free from decaying debris, leaves, birds’ nests and bird or animal droppings.
- The water storage and treatment system must be able to be disconnected from the roof during cleaning and maintenance.
- All monitoring of source water samples must be undertaken by an accredited laboratory.
Monitoring water after treatment
- Monitoring water after treatment is to manage the risk that, when water is treated in one building then supplied to others, contaminants could enter through, e.g. cracked pipes or loose joints.
- Water taken from the building at greatest distance from the treatment system must be monitored every month (if serving more than 100 people) or every three months (if serving 100 or fewer people) for:
- E. coli
- total coliforms.
- All monitoring of source water samples must be undertaken by an accredited laboratory.
Monitoring of treated water during a temporary population increase
- If the population served by the supply temporarily increases (e.g. during a gathering or event), additional samples of treated water must be collected and tested.
- For small suppliers (normally serving 100 or fewer people), additional samples must be tested:
- in the week before the population increases (if the increase is predictable)
- weekly until the population reduces to 100 or fewer.
- For medium suppliers (normally serving from 101 to 500 people), additional samples must be tested:
- in the week before the population increases if the increase is predictable
- twice weekly until the population reduces below 500.
If monitoring reveals a problem
- The accredited testing laboratory will advise the supplier and the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai (the Authority) if monitoring reveals that a determinand’s Maximum Acceptable Value (MAV) has been exceeded.
- Under sections 21 and 22 of the Water Services Act 2021, the supplier must also notify the Authority if a MAV has been exceeded.
- The supplier must take all reasonable steps to let affected people know:
- that the water is or may not be safe to drink
- what measures are being taken to provide an alternative supply while the problem is identified and fixed.
- If microbiological tests prove positive, a boil water notice can be applied while the cause of the exceedance is identified and fixed.
Record-keeping
- The supplier is required to keep records for at least three years of information and communications relating to:
- installation, maintenance and testing of treatment systems
- inspection and maintenance of supply components including storage tanks, pipes and pumps:
- monitoring results
- information provided to property owners and the people they supply
- emergency plans (see below) and any responses made.
Preparing for an emergency
- Suppliers are required to prepare a response plan for events such as earthquakes or weather events that could stop the treatment system from working or prevent the supply of sufficient drinking water.
Transitioning from an earlier Acceptable Solution
- Suppliers meeting the requirements of an earlier Acceptable Solution (for spring and bore water or roof water sources) have one year from XX September 2025 (the date the updated Acceptable Solution came into effect) to start complying with this new Acceptable Solution for self-supplied buildings.
- Suppliers can switch to the new requirements earlier if desired.
Exemptions
For some drinking water suppliers, it might be unreasonable or impractical to comply with the Act and suppliers can apply for an exemption from some requirements.
When seeking an exemption, you’ll need to tell us how the exemption will be consistent with the main purpose of the Act – ensuring that drinking water suppliers provide safe drinking water to consumers. You’ll also need to tell us how you would manage risks affecting your drinking water supply.
Head to the exemptions page for information on types of exemptions and how to apply.
This webpage is intended as a guideline and summarises legal requirements but does not address every requirement under the Water Services Act. It is not intended to be definitive and is not legal advice. Drinking water suppliers are responsible for understanding and complying with their legislative duties. The Authority may review and revise this page over time. If you are using a printed copy, please check the website to make sure it is up to date.